General Managers: There’s an old joke about ancient times and a Roman galley ship, where the rowers are resting, and the second in command tells them “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you get an extra hour of rest, and double fresh water and rations. … The bad news is … the captain wants to go water skiing!”

That applies to you. How? First, some data: The average CRM sees 25% usage.  You pay 100% of the bill. That’s a problem. There are some reasons for this to do with your store, and some reasons to do with the CRM you have.

At your store, your managers don’t use the CRM. You most likely don’t either. You didn’t “grow up” in retail using one, and your managers communicate with you how you want. Paper. Spreadsheets. Daily sales meetings.

Your galley rows on.

You’d use your CRM, you think, if it helped you row better. However, the CRM reports are confusing, and Internet leads are all over the road, and your salespeople complain your CRM can’t be used to do their job. That it gets in their way. Of rowing.

And so they continue to row while you pay the CRM 100% for 25%--paid because you “have to have a CRM”. Maybe because that keeps the OEM and likely your owner happy.  The CRM bill is like a tax. It bugs you, but you forget about it. Mostly.

A CRM should be like changing from oar-power to engine-power for your store’s “ship”: You should have a CRM that is an amplifier to your store’s business. Easy to use and powerful. Able to log everything, help with trades, answer leads and calls and texts. And mobile, definitely mobile, since your customers and your sales staff look at their phone an average of 150 times a day.

Don't hesitate to use your CRM as a powerful engine. Guess what? When your competition’s store motors easily ahead of your rowers, and their GM waves as he skis past, you’ll know how they are doing it. Why wait?

The CRM is not a bill. Or a tax. Or something you row with. If that’s what you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong.

And make no mistake: The OEM, and your Principal, definitely want to go waterskiing. You probably do, too--so don't be a rower when that happens.

Keith Shetterly, Consultant
keithshetterly@gmail.com